Colossal Battleships Smashed by Tiny American Fleet Epic Last Stand

In the early hours of October 25, 1944, during the Allied effort to retake the Philippines, the Americans made a crucial mistake; deceived by a masterful Japanese feint, they were utterly unprepared to fight a major battle in the Pacific Theater, a first for them. Unwittingly, the US Third Fleet was drawn away from the Philippines into a wildgoose chase, rendering the forces on Leyte Island completely unguarded. The Japanese ships to the east of Samar Island had a free run to wipe out the landing craft and troop transports, not merely crippling the operation but possibly turning the tide of the war against the Allies. Now, only a modest antisubmarine Task Group stood between the Japanese fleet and the two hundred thousand American soldiers and Marines fighting on Leyte. The men of Taffy3 grasped the gravity of the situation and were prepared to fight against overwhelming odds. Outgunned and outmatched, they knew that their mission was to hold the line and buy precious time for the reinforcements to arrive